If Francesco Aquilini truly wants to build the Vancouver Canucks into a “perpetual contender” he should look no further than Winnipeg for a blueprint.

The Jets emerged this season as one of the NHL’s best. Simply looking at the roster that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has assembled, with so much talent under the age of 25, it's easy to predict a long run of success on the prairies.

Though the Jets haven’t won anything yet — not even a playoff series, let alone a Stanley Cup — it’s telling that, going forward, the biggest challenge for Cheveldayoff might be keeping all his good players together.

So, how has he done it? That’s what I'll explore below:

Commit to the draft, and don’t screw up the first rounds

In 2011, when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Manitoba, they brought with them three players who are still in key roles for the Jets today: Dustin Byfuglien, Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little.